THE INDEPENDENT WARGAMES GROUP.
Being a Journal of views, prejudices,ideas and photographs of wargaming not just nationwide, but hopefully world wide.The name IWG was adopted in the early 1980's in response to the then dominant Wargames Research Group, but things have moved on,and wargaming appears to be in somewhat of a Golden Age, so sit back and hopefully enjoy my rantings.

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Monday, 24 September 2012

I have found that the Blackpowder rules have grown a lot in my estimation. So much so I thought I'd better make the effort to record the causalities that each unit incurs.

Warbases are a very helpful company making all sorts of things for wargamers,and their causality markers are really good. So instead of cluttering up my table with causality dice,I have been through my spares box and drafted these into my games. The bases have a movable widget,that shows causalities up to ten. Well recommended.

As Ive stated previously,in an effort to complete!,[well at least accelerate the process] my SYW project,I have been buying up pre painted Hinchliffe figures from old collections.Basically the type of figures you see at a bring and buy,which are in need of some tender love and attention,the ones that dont often sell.Well I must admit I have been a bit inspired because there are some decent bargains out there if you're prepared to see past the bent swords,wonky legs and heavily chipped paint.

I bought over 100 hundred of these chaps.Now to be fair the paint job is very acceptable to start with,and someone clearly made a great effort to get them to look right.So the unit below is one of the regiments that I have hopefully brought back to life.I deliberately gloss varnish,because I wanted to capture a bit of my wargaming youth, and personally I think they are the dogs bollocks.

I was lucky enough to buy some Prussian dragoons as well,although I wont be classing them as such,again, before;...

and then after;....

The best bit is the amount of time it takes to re paint the unit, well worth the scrounge about at shows.

Saturday, 22 September 2012

Well I'm branching out,and have started a new blog.This time it will be about my new project, building the army of Cesare Borgia. The blog is titled Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil, which was the motto of Cesare.
Ive already drawn up a list of wants etc,Where would we be without lists.
Hopefully it will be of interest to other gamers. I will still be carrying on with this blog,especially as Ive got some ideas for games that would be nice to record. Also I still have a mini metal mountain to demolish.

Anyway,please link up to my new blog,and hopefully learn something new, dont forget,Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil. The site is listed as dukeofvalentinois.blogspot.com

Friday, 14 September 2012

I must admit when Blackpowder first came out,I wasn't overly enamoured of the rules,but like a lot of things first impressions can be wrong.
Since those early encounters I have really got to like them,although the command dice can really bugger you up.
Anyway John and I used some of my Seven Years war Hessians and Hanoverians for a thrash against my French and Austrians.
Although my generals,being French were the usual bunch of clueless twerps,I did manage to give the Hessians a bit of a kicking.
My award for the best performing newly painted unit went to my Saxon light lancers, who not only chased the Hessian light lancers from the board, but also overcame the Hanoverian guard cavalry, by some quirk of generalship. [actually some great dice throwing]
Now from experience,the newer the painted unit,the more chance of them running away at the first instance. Strangely this was borne out by my latest Austrian dragoon unit totally under performing,taking the French C in C with them!

My gallant French Dragoons,followed by their Austrian allies, advance against the Hessian cavalry.Jackdaw French Dragoons, heavy brutes,but full of life.

These units have just been completed,and were part of an army that I bought second hand,and repainted [read touched up] its a great way to get troops on the table, usually at modest prices. If effort is taken with the bases and flags,old figures can look really good. Hinchliffe figures designed by the great Peter Gilder.

My Saxon lancers[ yellow pulk] showing the Hanoverian guard where to go. The red counter behind them shows they are actually spent. They still won! [ Sorry John]

For the SYW purists out there, the Hessian light lancers are from my imaginary ducal contingent,painted to fight at the Battle games fight in North Yorks,sadly I never got,so I like to bring them out from time to time.

Well with the weather finally relenting a little I braved myself to start my seasons painting. I should add that I paint in my garage cum wa...

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A Nostalgic Whim

SYW Rules.

Independent Wargames Group

Deep in Thought

Independent Wargames Group

Aim;There should always be an aim I believe even if it concerns wargaming. My aim is really to hopefully inspire people to take up a rewarding hobby ie, Wargaming.Being of a mature age I sometimes think hobbies have become redundant in the 21st century,and with the way history is taught in schools in the UK I worry that young people have little idea of the drama,colour and adventure that is history.I was lucky to be inspired as a young boy by a history teacher who loved his subject and was able to convey his enthusiasm to his pupils, from this base I discovered wargaming in the late 1960's.I have been wargaming now for over forty years,and I can honestly state my life would have been pretty dismal without this hobby which at times took over my life and certainly threatened my financial future.